


Lazy Mornings

by Nightwinging_it



Series: The Aftermath [5]
Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Destroy Ending, Fluff, M/M, Post-War, Shenko - Freeform, mShenko
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-05
Updated: 2019-04-05
Packaged: 2020-01-05 02:01:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18356318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nightwinging_it/pseuds/Nightwinging_it
Summary: With the war over and Shepard recovering from his injuries, he and Kaidan have earned a lazy morning to just cuddle in bed.





	Lazy Mornings

Kaidan cracked his eyes open, something tickling his neck. He grabbed whatever it was, realizing it was a dried up washcloth.

He rubbed his head in the darkness of the room. He’d had a bad migraine last night and put a cool, damp cloth over his head to help him sleep.

“John?” he muttered, realizing it was too quiet in the room.

He reached out, too dark in here for him to see. But the other side of the bed was empty, the sheets cool.

Kaidan groaned and slumped against the pillows. Shepard was so damn stubborn. He shouldn’t be walking around when no one was awake. If he fell and got hurt, Kaidan needed to know.

Kaidan got up and realized the curtains had been carefully arranged over the window to keep any light from getting in. He peeked out, seeing that it was still pretty dark outside. He checked the time, the clock announcing that it would still be about an hour before sunrise.

He left the room, wincing a little at the dim light of the hallway. A steady throb still lingered in the back of his head, but he felt a lot better than he had last night.

There were noises coming from the kitchen, so Kaidan followed them. The kitchen light was on when Kaidan rounded the corner.

Shepard was at the counter, reading over directions on a box. The counter was messy, but something smelled good.

Kaidan backed up a little and started walking forward again, his footsteps louder this time. In the past, he would’ve snuck up behind Shepard and wrapped his arms around the other man’s waist, kissing at his neck.

But after the war, that was too dangerous. Shepard liked to pretend he was fine, but he was much jumpier than he used to be, and Kaidan didn’t want to risk startling him.

Shepard looked over this time as Kaidan reentered the room. He looked displeased, which had Kaidan cocking his head to the side.

“Everything okay?” he asked.

Shepard looked back at the mess. “I was hoping to have the kitchen cleaned up before you woke up.”

“It’s fine. I’ll help you clean it,” Kaidan said.

Shepard shook his head. “Go back to bed, Kaidan.”

Kaidan stepped around the counter and now he put his arms around Shepard’s waist, kissing his neck and rested his chin on Shepard’s shoulder. “I’m awake. Let me help you.”

Shepard set the box down. “I try to do something nice for you, and you ruin it by doing something nice for me. Go figure.”

Kaidan furrowed his brow for a moment before understanding. “You were making me breakfast?”

Shepard leaned back against Kaidan. “You’ve been helping me since before I even left the hospital. I figured the least I could do was make you breakfast while you slept off a migraine.”

Shepard felt guilty for how hard Kaidan worked to help him. After the war, he’d been a useless, damaged body, barely able to speak or move. Kaidan had sat patiently by his side through it all. He’d stayed up night after night to make sure Shepard wasn’t alone with his thoughts. He’d made his house accessible for Shepard to live in when he was discharged. He’d never judged Shepard for the nightmares he struggled with, or the fits he fell into when he had a flashback to the war.

He just wanted to make Kaidan breakfast. He just wanted to let him rest for a morning.

“Hey,” Kaidan mumbled, tightening his hold on Shepard. “Thank you.”

He knew how badly Shepard needed to reclaim his sense of independence, so he stepped away from him. Shepard looked over his shoulder at Kaidan.

“I’ll go back to bed. But only if you promise to quit trashing my kitchen,” Kaidan said. “And Shep? Make enough for two.”

He returned to the room they’d been sharing. Kaidan made himself comfortable in the bed, listening hard to make sure Shepard was okay. He knew he could hover, and he was trying to be better about it, but that didn’t mean he didn’t still worry.

He closed his eyes, not quite tired enough to fall back to sleep. His migraine was starting to clear, though he had a feeling it wouldn’t be long before it came back. Still, he’d enjoy the relief while it lasted.

A while later, he opened his eyes at the sound of footsteps and Shepard’s cane. Shepard entered the room, struggling to carry the tray of food and keep a steady grip on his cane, his face determined.

Kaidan had the urge to jump up and help him, but he forced himself to stay on the bed and watch. These were the small battles Shepard fought nowadays, and he treasured the victory of making it from the kitchen to the bedroom without falling despite the weight imbalance.

He managed to set the food on the nightstand, lowering himself carefully back into the bed. Kaidan pulled him close, kissing his jaw.

“What’d you make us?” he asked, reaching over and turning on the lamp next to him.

“Bacon, omelets, toast, and hash browns,” Shepard said, looking a little proud. He’d been quick enough not to burn the food.

He shifted the tray so it was between them, balancing on their legs. Kaidan casually shifted so the majority of the weight was on his legs, making it seem like he was just trying to cuddle up closer to Shepard.

“Thanks, John. It smells delicious,” he said.

“Doesn’t mean it’ll taste any good. It’s been a while,” Shepard said, taking a bite of toast, as that seemed like the safest option.

Kaidan laughed and tried his omelet. “Tastes fine to me. If I get sick later, though, you’re banned from the kitchen.”

“That’s fair,” Shepard said, smiling a little.

They ate, a little sunlight starting to peak around the curtains where Kaidan hadn't fixed them back into place. When the food was gone, Shepard moved the tray off to the side, both of them comfortably full.

“It’s weird to be able to just lay in bed all morning,” Shepard said.

Kaidan shifted so his head was on Shepard’s chest. He liked listening to the steady, strong beat of Shepard’s heart.

“It’s nice,” he said. “I could get used to it.”

“Don’t get too used to it. You have to go back to work at some point,” Shepard said, brushing his fingers through Kaidan’s hair.

“But not yet,” Kaidan said.

He’d been given time off to care for Shepard. He’d have to return to work at some point- with Shepard too injured to return to work, that left Kaidan as the only active human Spectre, for whatever weight that carried in the aftermath of everything.

But for now, he had no work to get to today, and he was full and warm and comfortable. Shepard’s chest rose and fell in a soothing rhythm, and Kaidan could’ve fallen asleep on the spot if he wasn’t so determined to stay awake and enjoy the moment.

Still, the comfort of the moment was too much, and Kaidan found himself drifting in and out of sleep. Shepard continued to play with his hair, which definitely didn’t help him stay awake.

Finally, he opened his eyes and realized how much sunlight had crept into the room. He picked his head up, rubbing at his eyes.

“What time is it?” he mumbled.

“Doesn’t matter,” Shepard said, pushing him back down. “You don’t have to work.”

“Like that ever stopped you,” Kaidan said, but allowed himself to rest his head back on Shepard’s chest. A sleepy smile curved his lips. “Remember when we were on shore leave? You couldn’t even relax then. You just had to get shot at and fall through a fish tank.”

Shepard lightly hit him in the head. “You’re never going to let that go, are you?”

“Never,” Kaidan said, laughing.

Shepard sighed heavily, following it with a hard cough. Kaidan picked his head up, but Shepard shook his head.

“I’m fine. I forgot to get us drinks,” he said, coughing again and clearing his throat. “My throat’s just a little dry.”

“I’ll get us-” Kaidan started.

Shepard put a hand on him, holding him down as best he could. “I’m fine, Kaidan. Don’t get up. You worry too much.”

Kaidan shifted so he could see Shepard better. “You’re so stubborn.”

Shepard just smiled in response and closed his eyes, running his fingers through Kaidan’s hair. “It’s hard to do this, you know. Your hair keeps shocking my fingers.”

“Oh, sorry, let me just turn my biotics off for your convenience.”

“Thanks, that’d be great.”

Kaidan rolled his eyes. He eyed Shepard’s face. Shepard’s hair and beard had grown out a bit. It was strange to think of him with his buzzed hair and closely trimmed beard.

Kaidan reached up, lightly running a finger along Shepard’s hair where it covered the once-familiar scar. Shepard opened his eyes at the touch.

“What, think I need to cut it?” he asked.

“No. It looks fine,” Kaidan said honestly. “It’s just…a different look on you. That’s all. I actually like it.”

“Are you flirting with me, Major?” Shepard said, a hint of a smile on his lips.

“What if I am?” Kaidan asked, letting his hand slide down to Shepard’s face so he could pull him close for a kiss.

“I think I can live with that,” Shepard mumbled against his lips.

They kissed, keeping it easy. Both were enjoying the lazy comfort of the morning, and Kaidan didn’t want to turn things rougher or more urgent and throw off the mood of it all. Shepard seemed content to keep it to trailing kisses, his lips tracing a path down Kaidan’s jaw to his throat, and back up to his lips.

“We never just enjoyed mornings on the Normandy,” Shepard said, his fingers tracing lines over Kaidan’s arms.

“Always had work to do,” Kaidan said. “I think we’ve earned this.”

“We have,” Shepard said, seeming to surprise himself with the words. He paused, repeated the phrase slowly, “We have.”

“We have,” Kaidan said softly, rubbing his thumb back and forth on Shepard’s cheek. “You especially.” He stole another kiss. “But I do appreciate the breakfast in bed.”

“How’s your head?” Shepard asked.

“I’m fine. I think I mostly slept it off,” Kaidan said. “How do you feel this morning?”

“Fine,” Shepard said, like he always did, even when he’d grind the word out through a forced, pained smile. But this morning, he seemed to mean it as best he could nowadays.

Shepard let a yawn slip out after a few more minutes of that easy kissing and cuddling. Kaidan held Shepard to his body, dragging the covers back over them.

“We need to get up,” Shepard protested.

“We don’t need to do anything,” Kaidan said. “Who’s going to stop us from going back to sleep?”

Shepard furrowed his brow as he thought about it. He wasn’t used to eating breakfast and then just…going back to sleep. He was used to waking up early and getting to work no matter how tired he was. He was a soldier and that was just military life.

Instead, he disentangled himself from Kaidan’s arms. When Kaidan started to protest, Shepard silenced him with a kiss.

“Trust me,” he said, carefully getting out of bed and taking up his cane. He limped over to the window, fixing the curtains to stop sunlight from slipping in. He turned off Kaidan’s lamp as he returned to bed, smiling. “You’re right. Who’s going to stop us?”

He didn’t necessarily like the idea of being so lazy, but he knew how hard Kaidan worked and he wanted to see him get more sleep. Besides, a little lazy morning nap sounded pretty good right now.

“We can sleep off our breakfast and make lunch together when we wake up,” Kaidan said, taking Shepard back into his arms and burying his face against Shepard’s neck. He kissed the skin there as Shepard adjusted the blankets and settled back against the pillows.

“That sounds like a plan. We can go for a walk after we eat,” Shepard said, because it would drive him crazy not to do at least one slightly productive thing today.

“Sure. The last thing we need to do is get lazy and fat. Garrus would never let us live it down,” Kaidan said, closing his eyes and yawning. Shepard shivered at the release of breath against his neck. “’Night, John. Or, uh, morning.”

Shepard laughed softly, putting an arm around Kaidan. “Morning, Kaidan.”

He closed his eyes, curled up with the man he loved. Kaidan was back to sleep after just a few minutes, light breath tickling Shepard’s neck. Shepard held him closer. He felt peaceful. Happy.

Lazy mornings weren’t so bad after all.


End file.
